Help From an Unexpected Source
by Agent Frostbite
Summary: Nikki is restless (Thanks, Silas, for the sleep-depriving trauma), and while on her routine walk around the base, she stumbles across the Autobot commanders taking their paperwork head-on at 3 AM. The talk that follows is...actually fairly helpful. Rated cause I'm paranoid, also because of allusions to torture, consider yourself warned.


**A/N: IT LIVES  
**

 **Ish?**

 **Once again, I have no excuses, I make no promises. I'm just going through and rereading all my old stuff and I thought this looked decent enough to post, so...here ya go! Reviews might drag me back into more regular posting, plus they're fun to read, constructive criticism only, no flames, yada yada yada. Enjoy!**

 **Also, fair warning, this fits somewhere in the vaguely-constructed timeline that is my own AU Multi-fandom universe playground that I may or may not ever get around to actually writing and posting. I mean, I _think_ everything makes sense, but I also live in the aforementioned AU Multi-fandom universe playground because I don't wanna grow up. Just lemme know if anything is confusing, and I'll try to clarify it. Okay, now you are released. Read away!**

* * *

Restless.

That was the only word she could use to describe herself at the moment. She tossed and turned a few more times, finding the most comfortable position on the bed and trying to snuggle in. After a few more failed attempts at falling asleep, Nikki Skylar just gave up.

She made a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan as she rolled over and sat up. Her bare feet hit the cold floor, and that might've woken her up if she needed any help with that. She didn't even bother slipping on her shoes as she walked out, planning on roaming the base and letting her thoughts torture her till she made the rounds and went back to bed.

And since it was 3 in the morning, she didn't expect anyone, save the night shift guys, who knew her routine well. That expectation was thrown at the window the moment she turned the corner to the main room.

There were two Cybertronians sitting there, pouring over reports and statistics displayed on the main monitor. The info was all in Cybertronian, and thanks to the TARDIS Translation Matrix, she would've had no trouble reading it if she wasn't so doggone tired. The two Cybertronians were – not surprisingly – the Autobot commanders, Optimus Prime and Elita One.

Nikki let a half smirk find its way to her face as she walked closer. "Y'know, most people would be sleeping right about now," she remarked as she got to a point where she could talk quietly and still be understood. Both turned to look at her, and then turned back to the monitor, although she did see a slight smile on both their faceplates.

"Busy," Elita replied simply. "These reports aren't going to review themselves."

"Uh-huh," Nikki said, unconvinced. She knew all too well how much paperwork they had, though. Being a leader herself, she often found the same amount on her desk, and since she was so _awful_ at actually doing the reports and whatnot when they came in, she understood their situation.

Heaven knew she'd done it several times herself.

Which maybe would've been a better use of her restlessness, but whatever.

She climbed up the tall desk with ease and sat near the front edge, between the two. She let her legs dangle over the edge, and as she moved them back and forth slightly, she asked "Do you two ever get any sleep?" Neither answered. "You should at least _try_ to pretend that you do."

"I am not in the habit of lying," Optimus replied way too innocently. Elita snickered and Nikki shot him a faux shocked look. There was way too much amusement in it for it to be anywhere near as serious as she may have wanted, though. "And you? What are you doing awake so early?"

Nikki's gaze dropped from his face to her shoes, swinging slightly with her legs. The amusement fled from her eyes, though, ever the actress, she managed to keep her half-smirk, even if it was now twinged with sad remembrance. She shrugged evasively. "Can't sleep. Too much on my mind," she replied nonchalantly. Both leaders detected the underlying tone beneath it. One of fear. Nikki was never afraid.

She must've seen a change in their attitudes on their faceplates, or maybe she was just good at reading people, because her slightly downcast expression became wry. "Guess my acting needs some work, huh?"

"What's wrong?" Elita asked. "Be honest."

"I don't think I could lie to you guys anyway, and it certainly wouldn't be convincing," Nikki replied, not answering it yet. There was a beat of silence. Then, she sighed, looked up, and said, "Nightmares."

The two Autobots looked at each other, and a silent, almost telepathic conversation passed between them.

'Should we ask?'

'Would doing so be an invasion of her privacy?'

'I don't think so, but it _does_ concern her health, since it's keeping her from getting needed recharge.'

'She does not like talking about it, or she would already have confided in the rest of her team, something I doubt she has.'

'We ask, but don't press the matter if she doesn't tell.'

'Agreed.'

"Wow," Nikki said, drawing their attention to her. "Was that internal comms, or your bond, or just you two knowing each other so well?" she asked. Both 'Bots shared a look and smiled. "Definitely the last one. I'll talk about it, but you have to promise not to tell Laserbeak. Or Soundwave. Or...anyone on my team, really. They have enough problems without me being one of them."

"Only if we can tell them if it concerns your safety or health," Optimus bargained.

"Deal," Nikki agreed. "Remember that MECH compound we went after a week ago? The one where... The one where no-one made it?" They nodded, and she took a deep breath. "Silas, he... He planted a bunch of normally innocuous, unimportant marks and scratches. They made it look like the one from...like-like the one…like-"

"Like the one from Bayport," Elita finished for her when she couldn't. Nikki nodded.

"And seeing all of them dead, it just... It was like he was trying to get a reaction out of me." She chuckled wryly. "Well, he got one, 'cause all I can see when I close my eyes is Bayport, and everything that happened there. I was just gonna take a short walk, try to clear my head by letting the memories have free run, and then head back to my room and get some sleep."

"How often do you do this?" Optimus asked, concerned. Nikki detected the tone and smile slightly.

"It's routine. And Knock Out suggested it himself. If I can't force 'em out, just let 'em play for a bit, then shove 'em back inside the box. Although, he said to do that after they keep me up for 20 minutes, but I tried to ignore it for two hours," Nikki answered.

"Did you wake up at 1, or did you start trying to go to sleep at 1?" Elita asked, almost certainly knowing the answer.

"Eh, the latter. I was...busy," Nikki replied with a sly smile. Optimus and Elita both smiled, the former shaking his helm while the latter chuckled. "No rest for the weary, huh?"

"Or for leaders," Elita added. Optimus gave her a rather veiled 'Really?' look, to which Elita simply smiled sweetly. "I think we should all get some recharge."

"I will if you guys do," Nikki said, glancing between the two.

"Very well," Optimus conceded. Nikki jumped off the desk and landed perfectly – using the Force, obviously. She smiled and started walking away. When she got halfway across the room, she stopped and turned around as they were shutting the monitor down.

"Hey guys?" she asked. They both turned to look at her again. "Could we maybe do this again? Like, if you guys are in here working and I can't sleep?"

"Of course," Optimus answered. Nikki nodded.

"Thanks." As she turned the corner and headed back to her room, she called "Seriously, go to sleep, guys."

Elite chuckled, and that got a smile out of Optimus. "Kids..."


End file.
